Allison Schneider

As my time in the blue jacket starts dwindling, I am thinking back on all the great memories I have had. The amazing friendships I’ve made, the experiences I have taken hold of and the words of wisdom and advice I’ve heard and taken to heart. Some of my favorite advice has been “do it anyway;” “soak in this feeling of hurt, it will make rewards feel that much better;” “do what makes you happy;” “walk out of the interview room with a smile, then laugh”; “remember who you’re doing this for;”and “we don’t have problems we only have solutions”. These quotes from my mentors over the years have come in handy in many different situations but when they all came together for me is when I repeatedly heard a common phrase we hear as agriculturists and FFA members. “We are the future of our industry.” What does that phrase really mean? Do we take it with a grain of salt? Do we just respond with a nod and smile? Do we even give it a second thought? I know I did not until just recently while my team and I were facilitating Greenhand Motivational Conferences. I told our Greenhands that they were the future of our organization. Saying it was more than just repeating words; it was a call to action, a challenge that I hope they accepted: to continue making FFA the largest student lead organization in the nation. I hope it was a call to action to continue representing with pride, honor and respect for ourselves and others. So, when we hear “you’re the future” instead of nodding and smiling, start dreaming and aspiring to make it that much better and continue to hold up the traditions!

Rather than loading the trailer, I was loading my car to head toward the Missouri State Fair. This was the first time in nine years that I wouldn’t be exhibiting my swine at the state fair. While sad for me, I was still ready and excited to attend the fair. I knew my two weeks at the fair were going to be vastly different from those of past years. My schedule consisted of working the FFA building, goat, sheep and cattle shows rather than swine, speaking engagements, pictures, and a whole day at food insecurity. When I saw my schedule, I was a little taken back because I was hoping for free time to spend in the swine barn with my show family. Nonetheless, I knew I needed to put my best foot forward for Missouri FFA, I’m so glad I did.

While attending a host of events at the state fair, I met a whole new group of people that were amazing. I got to experience different parts of agriculture that are fascinating. I learned more than I ever dreamt I would. These types of situations come up in our everyday lives all the time; do we stay in our comfort zone, or do we reach out and learn something new? Do we stay set in our ways or do we learn from someone or something else? As we all adventure back to school this year, we will experience something unknown whether that be a new class, teacher, or even an entirely different  school. Know that while yes, this experience might be vastly different, it is all part of our growth. These are the memories, the experiences and knowledge that we pack in our minds no matter where our trip is going.